When you work in a particular field, it shapes your worldview. Many times, I catch myself examining culture, business, and interpersonal relationships as the inevitable products and outcomes of communications, which is the essence of marketing. Kind of like, “Communications is Everything, and Everything is Communications.”

My usual elevator speech, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, is this: We use the evil tools and methods of advertising, communications, and marketing persuasion to advance the causes, people, organizations, and corporations that we believe are making a positive difference in the world. Through Lenz, we are trying to make a difference.

Lenz has viewed “Events” as communications and marketing as well, and has used events to advance our clients’ businesses in many ways.

This weekend, starting Friday night, is the AJC Decatur Book Festival, which has turned into, ahem, a Bookzilla of a book festival. Lenz’s efforts on the Festival started in 2005, when Daren Wang walked into my office and asked if we would be interested in helping to launch the book festival that the South needed.

As an author, editor, designer, and publisher of books, I told him, This is your lucky day!, and we jumped in with both feet. The festival has grown by leaps and bounds, and today requires my entire staff’s effort to support the event in the PR, Digital, Design, Social Media, Advertising, and Promotions areas.

In Decatur, Lenz has also been proud to support, in a variety of ways, the Arts Festival, Wine Festival, and Beer Festival, led by the city and an army of local volunteers and art, wine, and beer aficionados. Just a few months ago, we helped launch Decatur’s first music festival, Amplify Decatur, which raised funds for Decatur Cooperative Ministry. I believe these events have gone a long way in positively marketing Decatur, which was recently listed first as one of the “Coolest Suburbs in America” on Thrillist.

After the Book Festival tents come down, I know the event I am most looking forward to, and that is the Atlanta Science Festival. Lenz will be working with the festival to help this great idea reach even more people and make a greater impact. Our interest and work on scientific and natural topics goes back to Lenz’s very beginnings, helping to market the Tennessee Aquarium, The U.S. Space and Rocket Center, The Junior Ranger Program, Project Wet, The Schoolyard Habitat Program, and editing and publishing 19 books on America’s greatest natural areas.

If I don’t see you at the Book Festival, I hope I will at the Atlanta Science Festival March 15-25, 2017!